Catching Up
by quenwheezha
Summary: Because Lambo knows his life revolves around catching up to them. One shot.


**Catching Up**

Twenty-two year old Lambo opened the door to the second conference room where the Vongola Decimo and his Guardians sat around a circular wooden table. They all looked towards the newcomer and Lambo sheepishly gave them an apologetic smile.

"You're late, Lambo." his boss and brother, Tsuna scolded kindly. "We had been waiting."

Lambo took his designated seat in between Gokudera and Ryohei.

"Forgive me, Tsuna-nii. I had stuff to pick up at Spanner's lab."

Tsuna, ever understanding of his youngest brother nodded, his chocolate-orbs warm with affection. He looked over the rest of his Guardians.

"Well then, we shall start."

He switched to his Boss mode. The Guardians turning serious to discuss the matter of their gathering. It has amused Lambo how the formerly rambunctious bunch of mafiosi grew up to be quite the mature and capable individuals that the rest of the mafia world look up to. Of course, the eccentricity and craziness that is the Vongola never left them, but on occassions like this, they have learned to act rather properly.

They were 20 minutes into the meeting when suddenly Lambo felt a familiar sensation in his body. He hastily raised his right hand which Tsuna acknowledged.

"Yes, Lambo? Have you thought of any plan of attack yet?"

Lambo lowered his hand. "No, not that. Rather, I might be gone for a while."

As he was engrossed in their strategy planning, Tsuna stared confusedly at Lambo before realization dawned him. "Ohh. How many seconds left?"

Lambo grinned apologetically and a cloud of pink smoke enveloped him. When the smoke disappeared, a 12-year old Lambo sat on the cushiony chair, staring at them rather expectantly. He beamed at the sight of Tsuna.

"Tsuna-nii!"

Gokudera sighed in resignation and reached for his inner pocket. He handed the 12 year old a grape candy. Lambo pouted.

"Hayato-nii, today you banned me from eating sweets because I had sugar rush from eating too much yesterday."

Gokudera's eyebrow rose, "Really? Well then, we must not disobey my younger self."

Yamamoto, who was sitting across Lambo leaned a little forwards and smiled cheerfully at the child, "What were you doing in your time, Lambo?"

"What's that? Have you forgotten?" Lambo asked, quite disappointed.

"Lambo, the many times you used the Ten-Year Bazooka, we've lost count of the time and exact moment which you would switch with your 10-year older self. Although there were some remarkable ones, but it's hard to keep track of everything." Tsuna replied kindly.

A more visible sad expression appeared on Lambo's face. In fact, he looked as though he were about to cry.

"If it's like that, then it loses its purpose." He sniffed. "I even made to time it on the perfect moments." He mumbled further.

Quite at a lost at what the ten-year younger version of their Lightning Guardian was talking about, Ryohei gave a brotherly squeeze at his shoulder.

"Would you tell us what you mean to the extreme, Lambo?"

Lambo looked around the more older versions of his brothers. Were his efforts futile after all?

"But.. you're in a meeting."

"Ah. I think we can spare-" Tsuna looked down his watch, "-some three minutes more for this."

Lambo hesitated. Is it okay to tell them now? He looked around his siblings once more and made a quick comparison at their versions back at his time. They surely aged a lot, not that they were any younger compared to Lambo in the past but seeing their 30 plus year old selves tug something in Lambo's heart. And his mind wandered in the future when he travelled through the bazooka again and where he would surely see them with gray hairs and sagging skin. Or maybe won't see them anymore at all. He felt like crying.

He wiped his teary eyes with the back of his sleeves and stared at his brothers and sister.

"I sent my older self to spend time with you." he said simply.

"Eh? Why would you do that, Lambo? Aren't you spending time with us already, both in this future and in the past?" Tsuna bewildered at Lambo's answer. Why would the younger Lambo willfully switch with his older self for such a reason?

Twelve-year old Lambo shook his head, "You don't understand."

It was Chrome's turn to speak now. "What do we not understand, Lambo-kun?"

Lambo stared back at the female Mist for a moment before he cut contact and travelled his eyes at anywhere but his Family.

"You don't understand because we were never the same age. So even if you took care of me a lot and love me so much because of the difference in age gap, we didn't really bond." He paused and slowly peered at his siblings who were staring at him with a newfound realization on their faces.

"That's why, with the Ten-Year Bazooka, my older future self is able to spend some time with your younger past selves even for just 5 minutes." He then turned his head down his lap, as if embarrassed at his sudden revelation.

Tsuna gaped at the younger Lambo in their midst and his thoughts flashed back to those times in the past when a ten-year older Lambo would appear before them. Sure enough, when his rambunctious bunch of siblings come together, Lambo would disappear to be replaced by his older self. Tsuna didn't took notice of this before, as he was used to Lambo switching with himself.

Everyone of them seemed to be thinking along the same line for no one spoke for a while. A puff of pink smoke appeared again and their Lambo in this time emerged, a happy and contented smile on his face. He looked like as if he just had a great time.

Yamamoto was the first to break the silence.

"Welcome back! So how was the past, Lambo?"

Lambo stifled a laugh. "Hayato-nii fell face first on the grass. Takeshi-nii tossed a ball and it broke a window. Ryohei-nii did an extreme catch he hit Kyoya-nii's face and Mukuro-nii laughed creepily like death."

Gokudera felt his face flushed at the sudden recollection. It was that time when the eight of them, was pursued by Yamamoto to play catch while they wait for Reborn to come, the ex-Arcobaleno having went off somewhere and would be right back by then to discuss some matters with them. As Tsuna have been weary of paperworks that day and needed some fresh air before the meeting, Yamamoto suggested to play catch with everyone. They thought of him stupid at first, but he was insistent enough and so they did so with grudging participation. Naturally for the Vongola, it all escalated from there.

Tsuna sighed in exasperation, "And I was desperately preventing a fight to spark, as usual. You and Chrome left me to enjoy yourselves watching them amused."

Lambo nodded laughingly, there were now tears in his eyes from his joy. The reason for them gathering in the conference room in the first place was long forgotten.

"You should have seen it! It was so hilarious."

Gokudera retained his composure, "Idiot. We were there, technically our younger selves."

Lambo wiped his eyes with his sleeves and muttered, "Yeah, you're right."

"We're glad you enjoyed yourself with us, Lambo."

There was a knowing glint in Tsuna's voice that made Lambo perk up at his words. Then, suddenly remembering something, he slapped a hand on his face.

"Oh yes, you heard it from little me today." He groaned. He removed his palm and gave a sheepish smile, "Yare, yare. That was really embarrassing come to think of it. Although for me that should have been 10 years ago in the past."

Tsuna finally felt like he understood why the Lightning Guardian couldn't quite keep off his Ten-Year Bazooka after all this time. In fact, even at his twenties, the youngest Guardian would still use it from time to time, at carefully chosen moments of course.

"Lambo, you shouldn't be troubled by such a thing. In fact, we're the ones sorry. We didn't know, Lambo."

Lambo stopped smiling and looked at his beloved brother indignantly.

"But Tsuna-nii, it's not your fault! It's not anyone's fault about my age."

"But we didn't realize how you were taking it upon yourself, Lambo."

Lambo froze. He remained quiet for a moment before he look into each of them again.

"I always feel, always know, that I would be chasing you all for life." He sighed deeply.

"When I was five or six, I thought that by growing up, I would be able to catch up with you guys. I was always looking at the big and lively teens around me. I had always admired your strength and friendship. Of course, being a Guardian, I was technically part of whatever you have together. But then again, I was too young."

"I couldn't keep up with you all no matter how many years I grow into. I became jealous at that. Your ages were close each other, it was the strongest form of understanding and bond that held you all. You treated me well of course, despite being years behind you, I am very grateful. Yet, I couldn't deny that I sometimes get lonely, when you get to be with each other more because you belong in the same age group. I could only keep looking at all of you."

"Then I turned 7, I still feel left out. So I managed to solve my problem."

Yamamoto grinned, although without the usual cheer. "By using the Ten-Year Bazooka."

Lambo nodded. "Yes. It was perfect. I would be transported to the future and the ten-year older me would be back to the past. By doing so, my ten-year later self would be able to join your group, to be part of it even for such only a while. So I started using the bazooka on those moments I would like my future self be part of."

"But that leaves your younger self to go into a time where we are much older." Commented Ryohei.

Lambo smiled happily at this, "Then it's a great trade, right? I would get to see how well you are in the future."

"Herbivore, don't tell me you'll be keeping on using that bazooka?" Hibari surprised them with his sudden question.

"Kufufufu. The skylark has a point, if you follow through that plan, you would be living backwards."

Lambo nodded his head to show he understands this. "Still, it's a great opportunity not to miss. Someday in the future, we won't be sitting together like this anymore. One way or another, we will have lives of our own. You guys will surely build families with your loved ones, and we might spend less time with each other. Not that I'm looking forward to that but you know what I mean. Or-" he smiled sadly, "-something else might happen and we won't be here like this anymore. During those times when I want to see your faces, I would be transported back to the past to see you all again. And that would be enough."

Tsuna's right hand leaned forwards to squeeze Lambo's hand on the table.

"Lambo, are you sure you want to go through something like this?"

The Lightning Guardian looked down on his lap for a moment, then he glanced back at Tsuna with determined eyes. "I have always accepted the fact that being the youngest is both a blessing and a curse. Please let me do this, Tsuna-nii."

It was one thing for their youngest brother to be this serious. Tsuna sighed and smiled in understanding. "If that is your decision."

Lambo returned back a squeeze. "Thanks Tsuna-nii."

"But Lambo, you don't have to feel lonely. Because we are here for you, your brothers and sister, in whichever part of the past and future it may be. Right here and now, and for the rest of our lives, we love you Lambo. No amount of years and age gap will change that fact."

Lambo felt Gokudera tapping his shoulder, he saw Yamamoto smiling at him with deep sincerity, felt Ryohei ruffling his hair affectionately, Chrome's soft hand reaching out for his, Hibari softening his gaze, and Mukuro giving him a well-meaning smirk.

Lambo wish he could froze time then and there.

 **ooOoo**

 **Omake**

Seventy-five year old Lambo was sitting on a rocking chair by the veranda. His newspaper and cup of tea put aside on a table. He gingerly reached for his shirt pocket and fished out an old photograph. Blinking, he ran his hand softly on the photo and at the faces smiling back at him. He felt a pull inside of him and the photograph fell from his graps and to the floor, just as he was about to pick it up, he was engulfed in a pink smoke.

When the smoke disappeared, he found himself sitting on a cushiony chair along with seven other poeple about his age. Realizing when and where he was, Lambo smiled warmly at the people with him.

"Heh, look at you, so old and wrinkled." Gokudera spoke. His silver hair now a tinge of gray.

Yamamoto laughed rather hoarsely. "You're an old man too, Hayato."

"Are you doing crosstitch?" Lambo asked the group.

Tsuna, whose hair gravity-defying as ever but now gray smiled, " Chrome talked us into it."

"Only thing we could about manage right now without getting a painful back." Chrome spoke slowly.

"Extremely can't see clearly into this anymore." Ryohei exclaimed, not as loud as before.

"Hn. This is useless." Came from Hibari, whose hawk-like eyes despite being old still pierce through the soul.

"Kufufufu. Piercing the Skylark with these needles is more fun."

Tsuna sighed, "Mukuro, fighting with Kyoya will only make your blood level rise."

"Yeah Pineapple Head. Did you forget you had Hypertension last week because of overexerting yourself."

"Hn. Be an obedient old Pineapple."

"Kufufufu. I won't tolerate such a thing from a wrinkling Skylark."

"Maa, maa. We're all old aged already."

Lambo sat quietly through all this. Instead he took the sight around him with sad, longing eyes. Tsuna, noticing this, squeezed the Lightning's shoulder. The rest of the Guardians stopped their talking and turned an affectionate glance to Lambo.

A sudden tear glistened Lambo's cheek. And soon, he was weeping slightly like a child.

"I miss all of you." he croaked.

He felt Tsuna hugged him, Gokudera squeezed his hand, Ryohei patted his shoulder, Yamamoto rubbed his back, Chrome wiped his tears, Hibari softened his glance, and Mukuro smiled at him.

"We're sorry Lambo."

Pink smoke clouded his vision and he found himself back at the veranda. His tears broke like a well now. And he coughed and choke the longing and sadness in his heart. Suddenly his eyes fell on the photograph at his feet. He slowly picked it up and held it in an embrace.

"Please wait for me." he whispered.

An hour later, the servants of the mansion found him. Fingers cold and clutching at the photograph, his eyes closed, his breathing ceased. Yet there on the man's face was a smile of contentment.

 **ooOoo**

 **END.**


End file.
